Aircraft fore structure

Abstract

An aircraft fore-structure for wide- and very-wide body freight aircraft that is characterized by the presence of a unpressurized landing gear compartment in the lower fore end section. The landing gear compartment is formed by a ceiling at the top, that is preferably domed, and by a partition towards the rear. A door that is provided in the partition provides access through the landing gear compartment to the pressurized compartment located behind said partition. An opening in the fore of the landing gear compartment also provides access to the radar chamber without requiring the radome to be dismantled. The original layout of the landing gear compartment enables fore landing gear to be installed that is larger than that in existing aircraft.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An aircraft fore structure comprising: 
       a pressurized compartment; and  
       an unpressurized landing gear compartment that is suitable to house fore landing gear in the retracted position, in which the unpressurized landing gear compartment constitutes a lower fore end section of the fore structure, and the unpressurized landing gear compartment is separated from the pressurized compartment by a ceiling and a rear partition, wherein the landing gear compartment comprises an extension towards the rear, beyond said rear partition, the fore landing gear being hinged in said extension towards the rear such that it extends towards the fore in the landing gear compartment in the retracted position.  
     
     
       2. The aircraft fore structure of claim  1  wherein said extension towards the rear comprises lateral partitions that are sloped to meet near the top of the landing gear compartment. 
     
     
       3. The aircraft fore structure of claim  1  wherein said extension towards the rear comprises lateral partitions that are more or less vertical. 
     
     
       4. The aircraft fore structure of claim  1  wherein the ceiling bulges downwards. 
     
     
       5. The aircraft fore structure of claim  1  wherein at least one access door is provided in the rear partition. 
     
     
       6. The aircraft fore structure of claim  5  wherein the at least one access door is more or less oval-shaped with a more or less vertical major vertical axis. 
     
     
       7. The aircraft fore structure of claim  1  wherein stiffeners reinforce the ceiling and the rear partition. 
     
     
       8. The aircraft fore structure of claim  1  wherein a hand rail is located in the landing gear compartment. 
     
     
       9. The aircraft fore structure of claim  8  wherein the hand rail bears a net for protecting the ceiling of the landing gear compartment. 
     
     
       10. An aircraft fore structure comprising: 
       a pressurized compartment; and  
       an unpressurized landing gear compartment that is suitable to house fore landing gear in the retracted position, in which the unpressurized landing gear compartment constitutes a lower fore end section of the fore structure, and wherein a radar chamber, contained within a radome, is provided at the fore of the landing gear compartment and wherein said radar chamber is separated from said landing gear compartment by a fore partition that is provided with at least one access opening.  
     
     
       11. The aircraft fore structure of claim  1  wherein the fore landing gear is provided with at least one wheel that is suitable for being located near the fore partition when said landing gear is in the retracted position.